Marine and Coastal

The Mesoamerican Reef System (MAR) extends from the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula to the Bay Islands in Honduras. MAR is unique in the Western Hemisphere in terms of its length, composition of reef types, and diverse assemblage of corals and related species. It contributes to the stabilization and protection of coastal landscapes, maintenance of coastal water quality, and serves as breeding and feeding grounds for marine mammals, sea turtles, fish and invertebrates, many of which are of commercial importance. MAR is also of immense socioeconomic significance providing employment and a source of income to an estimated one million people living in adjacent coastal areas.

The Mesoamerican Reef System
Source: The Summit Foundation

However, these reefs are currently under pressure from land-based activities including coastal development, overfishing, sewage pollution, water sports tourism, deforestation, and agricultural and industrial runoff. In addition, two major climate events in 1998 (El Niño mass bleaching and Hurricane Mitch) caused severe damage to reefs along the Mesoamerican Corridor. In this area, coastal activities have traditionally been relatively minor within national economies, which are mostly based on agriculture and small industries.

However, the rapidly growing tourism industries, focused primarily on coastal centers, and the emerging cruise ship industry have recently become the major economic force in much of the region, particularly in Belize and México. Similarly both the federal and state governments are running an aggressive campaign to increase tourism development along the coast, which will cause greater negative impact on the reef. Furthermore, in Quintana Roo, the impact of Hurricane Isidore (2002) and the resulting flooding and sedimentation in the region, along with white band disease and coral bleaching events, are expected to have long-term ecological consequences for the coral reefs.

Over the years, a wide variety of organizations have contributed toward numerous studies on coral reefs in the Akumal area. These have included projects on coral reef diseases, reef mapping, water quality, coral bleaching, fish populations and reef characterization. Studies point toward a significant decrease in reef health in the last 10 years, mostly due to poor waste water management.

In response to environmental degradation and the demands of the community, CEA has initiated a Marine and Coastal Protection Program.

Current projects within the Program are:

1. REEF fish surveys and courses

The Reef Environment Education Foundation (REEF) is an active organization of divers committed to the preservation of the marine environment. The REEF Fish Survey Project allows volunteer SCUBA divers and snorkelers to collect and report information on marine fish populations. In May 2005, CEA became a REEF Field Station and has run several REEF fish identification classes for the general public. REEF surveys have been possible with the generous donation of a weekly survey boat from the Akumal Dive Shop.

For more information on REEF, go to www.reef.org.

2. Coral Reef Targeted Research Project – Juvenile fish surveys

In July 2005, CEA initiated a juvenile fish survey project as part of a regional effort to monitor the recruitment of fish, coral and lobsters on the Mesoamerican Reef System. This monitoring effort forms part of an innovative global initiative, the Coral Reef Targeted Research Project (CRTR Project), which has been established to address fundamental information gaps in our understanding of coral reef ecosystems, so that management options and policy interventions can be strengthened globally.

Within the CRTR Project in Mesoamerica, Akumal was selected as one of the 11 “core sites” in the region, among sites in México, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. CEA is proud to be a partner in this project and has been selected to conduct the scientific monitoring of Akumal’s reefs in this global initiative.

For more information on the CRTR Project, visit CRTR Project.

3. Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System project (MBRS) monitoring efforts

A positive development in the Mesoamerican region has been the recent adoption of the MBRS Synoptic Monitoring Program (SMP). This program’s aim is to establish a harmonized and standardized monitoring methodology for the region (Belize, Honduras, México and Guatemala). MBRS monitoring projects using the SMP are currently being established in areas both to the north of Akumal (Cozumel, Isla Contoy, Cancún, and Puerto Morelos), and to the south (Sian Ka’an, Banco Chinchorro, Xcalak, Mahahual). In order to bridge the gap in survey areas, CEA is working to develop a long-term monitoring program using the SMP in the Akumal area. Several volunteers have been invited to join the MBRS monitoring activities in Xcalak and Cozumel, helping out in these marine parks with fish and coral surveys.

For more information on the MBRS project, to go: MBRS

4. Akumal Bay Management Program

Over the next few months, CEA will be working with the local businesses and community, through program staff and volunteers, to develop and help implement a management plan for Akumal Bay. This program will incorporate the following activities:

• Determining the carrying capacity of the bay: This will ensure that tourism development brings maximum benefit to local communities while minimizing environmental impact from all activities, from snorkeling to fishing boats.
• Encouraging better environmental practices in the area: CEA will encourage local hotels and dive and tour operators to adopt environmentally sensible practices. Education of tourists, particularly teaching divers and snorkelers not to damage the reefs, is essential to reducing impact.
• Performing regular coral reef monitoring studies of the bay: Good management requires continued assessment of natural resources and how they change, over time and in response to natural and human influences, especially because of water quality and tourism in the bay.
• Determining and protecting feeding areas for resident marine turtles: Akumal, "the place of the turtle," has excellent seagrasses on which green turtles depend. Their feeding patterns will be studied and mapped in relation to seagrasses and boat moorings and traffic.
• Placing buoys in the bay: Buoys, defining areas for swimming, have been placed along the shore of the bay, protecting swimmers from the boat traffic. In addition, mooring buoys will be positioned in appropriate areas for boats to moor to, eliminating the need for anchoring and possibly limiting the number of boats in the bay.
• Promoting better sewage treatment: Composting toilets and constructed wetlands are alternatives to septic tanks and deep injection wells, which are inadequate for the area due to the region’s shallow water table.
• Improving beach management during turtle nesting season: Reducing the amount of lights, people and noise on the beach at night, involving private security personnel in nest protection efforts, and bringing in beach chairs at night, are all measures that could be taken to help ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures.
• Promoting a Marine Protected Area: The use of a legal tool to manage the bay is the best way to keep Akumal Bay beautiful for years to come. There are different levels of legal instruments available and Akumal should seek to protect its bay legally, in order to successfully manage all activities.

	CEA Participates in Year of the Reef and CNN Program - 2008
	Coral Reef - In 1994 CEA and Cornell University began a long-term monitoring program at Akumal.
	Coral Reef Program Archived Articles - Articles written for the Coral Reef Program
	Septic Operations & Maintenance - Updated August 2007
	Wetland Operation Maintenance - Updated August 2007